Series 3 off road capabilities

[JimP]

Hi all

My brother wants to buy a landy and I think that a series 3 might be the one for him!

Question is though how capable are they off road, but off road I mean laning, but some of the lanes I do are pretty rutted, how will a series 3 cope?? (I expect the answer will be pretty well!)

Thanks

Jim

[andyb]

I used to lane and trial a S2....pretty much the same beast. It was SWB with a set of 7.50s. Bit old skool now, but worked well. :)

Articulation can be the limiting factor on std leaf springs, but there are tricks to help (without spendy shackles)

[stratie]

My S2 would go any where that my mates 90 would  ;)

[crazymac]

Still trial a series 3 diesel, absolutely standard and usually beats the Rangy's and 90's to the class win :dance:

[carbore]

Try looking at some of the clips on you tube.

I like this one, a Landrover produced training file (several parts linked) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q2I17OtZp6E

[muddyjames]

I had a series 3 and it was brilliant. Much better than my disco due to ramp over angle etc and the slightly larger tyres ment it didnt ground out on the diffs as much as disco's etc do. even with a tow bar on mine!

[muddyjames]

Try looking at some of the clips on you tube.

I like this one, a Landrover produced training file (several parts linked) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=q2I17OtZp6E

I love the 2nd part where in the sand they have whitw writing on white sand. Very good! And at the end they say if you get stuck it is an embarassment to the driver and the brand!!  :lol:

[baron von ledwidge]

That video was awesome, does that suspension look suprisingly active to anyone else? ha ha but yea a series 3 is pretty capable off road, the only limitations i ever find is sometimes power when in bombholes and stuff

[Devon-Rover]

Very capable, Fair power to weight ratio, good turning circle, Good articulation when fettled, decent set of tyres can be fitted, Short overhangs too.

All in all a SWB series is a very competant and capable off road machine for not a lot of money.

[crazymac]

That video was awesome, does that suspension look suprisingly active to anyone else? ha ha but yea a series 3 is pretty capable off road, the only limitations i ever find is sometimes power when in bombholes and stuff

Nope, thats what new or well looked after springs are like!

[andyb]

Agree with CrazyMac. Rust between leafs adds frictions and lower leafs wearing a step into the upper leafs adds to the 'stiffness'.

[baron von ledwidge]

yea very tre, tho it just looked very comfortable, think ill have to invest in some pro comps to go with my parabollics ha ha,

[Spyderman]

Mine will go anywhere, but it is modified. Before it was though, it used to hang up in ruts on the spring hangers normally. I've now got 13" clearance under the diffs compared to a standard Disco with 8".http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hlltJL8ODz0

[reriessandlover]

what mods can we do with the leafs apart from the use of paras

[crazymac]

what mods can we do with the leafs apart from the use of paras

You can get extended spring hangers, that will give you a bit more clearance

[AndyMacG]

When I had my old series 3 109   there wasnt may places I couldnt get  , used to annoy my mate with his disco  as I would be right behind him most of the time offroad

we did one laneing trip in Northumbria  and at the end of one rather muddy lane I realised I hadnt even put into 4wd  :lol:  and  I used to annoy him at river crossings  as it would carry on running even though it was agood old 2286 4 pot petrol

the only bit of preparing it for offroading was to put mud terrains on it other wise it was exactly the same as it came out of the army

[Dave123]

When I had my old series 3 109   there wasnt may places I couldnt get  , used to annoy my mate with his disco  as I would be right behind him most of the time offroad

we did one laneing trip in Northumbria  and at the end of one rather muddy lane I realised I hadnt even put into 4wd  :lol:  and  I used to annoy him at river crossings  as it would carry on running even though it was agood old 2286 4 pot petrol

the only bit of preparing it for offroading was to put mud terrains on it other wise it was exactly the same as it came out of the army

That's good to hear, I was just about to ask the question of how well a S3 109 petrol would do offroad.
Only propblem I can see is the turning circle...

[muddyjames]

When I had my old series 3 109   there wasnt may places I couldnt get  , used to annoy my mate with his disco  as I would be right behind him most of the time offroad

we did one laneing trip in Northumbria  and at the end of one rather muddy lane I realised I hadnt even put into 4wd  :lol:  and  I used to annoy him at river crossings  as it would carry on running even though it was agood old 2286 4 pot petrol

the only bit of preparing it for offroading was to put mud terrains on it other wise it was exactly the same as it came out of the army

Only propblem I can see is the turning circle...

Thats what gyms are for!!! Building up your muscles for turning the steering back and forth to get round easy corners! :lol:

[AndyMacG]

When I had my old series 3 109   there wasnt may places I couldnt get  , used to annoy my mate with his disco  as I would be right behind him most of the time offroad

we did one laneing trip in Northumbria  and at the end of one rather muddy lane I realised I hadnt even put into 4wd  :lol:  and  I used to annoy him at river crossings  as it would carry on running even though it was agood old 2286 4 pot petrol

the only bit of preparing it for offroading was to put mud terrains on it other wise it was exactly the same as it came out of the army

Only propblem I can see is the turning circle...

Thats what gyms are for!!! Building up your muscles for turning the steering back and forth to get round easy corners! :lol:

only ever had trouble a few times with the steering lock but discovered that when I put the mud terrains on disco rims it helped it that little bit more,the steering wasnt that heavy, think the army had rebuilt the landy before releasing it as everything was brand new under the bonnet

[James.Harwood]

They are only as good as the driver.

[Range Rover Blues]

I go laning sometimes with Climbing Chris.  I remeber once we'd done a series of lanes and I'd had fun, sometimes I got a bit sideways and the going was slippery.  When we got back to the road Chris said he'd found them so tricky he considered going into 4WD at one point :lol:

Series are very capable, somtimes you'll get hung on stuff that I will get over but mostly I find series just get on with it, they'llonly be left behind by seriously modyfied coil sprung LR.

[fire boy si]

the only limiting factor with a series landy is the bravery (stupidity ) of the man /woman behind the wheel never have i been stuck only had a tempory lose of traction

[Spyderman]

never have i been stuck only had a tempory lose of traction

It depends what you call temporary, if that means requiring digging, waffle boards, winching, towing, jacking, then I've only ever been stuck temporarily too. :lol:

[S188]

It depends what you call temporary, if that means requiring digging, waffle boards, winching, towing, jacking, then I've only ever been stuck temporarily too. :lol:

Well are you stuck now?  No?  Temporary then  :lol:

"Temporarily delayed by a yet unknown amount" sounds better than broken down too. :roll:

[Chris Putt]

A good friend of mine has a series 3 109 with a perkins prima (2.0ltr TD) in it, 1 tonne shackles and a set of 265/75 BFG Muds on it. It has to be said it is a very capable machine, its been a few places my old disco struggled with little or no fuss. His one improves vastly when it has some weight in the back too as the rear end doesn't flex that much when its empty!!!

Cheap, capable machines- just getting harder to find a good one these days.

Chris

[meader]

i had one one for a few years and very good off road only down side of them is bloddy freezing in the winter and sweat boxes in the summer but all in all fun to drive

[Spyderman]

It has to be said it is a very capable machine, its been a few places my old disco struggled with little or no fuss. His one improves vastly when it has some weight in the back too as the rear end doesn't flex that much when its empty!!!

Chris

This is mine empty, I think articulation is down to spring condition. Keep them well oiled and they're fine. No problem getting the Axles on the Bumpstops.

[Chris Putt]

His one is an ex-electricity board one with HD springs on, hence the lack of flex when empty. The springs are new (well, 6 months or so) and are WELL lubricated.

Spyderman, are you still on standard series 88" rover axles or have you got a salisbury on the back with those big tyres?

Reason for asking is I am looking at getting a tax exempt 88" as a toy next summer, which whilst being road legal, I want to get the biggest tyres I can get under it sensibly on, without regularly breaking halfshafts/diffs?

Chris

[Spyderman]

Chris,
Standard Rover Axles. I've added 1 ton shackles though, for a bit of lift. Salisbury would be the way to go, but I've had no problems up to now - touch wood.

[Les Henson]

I off-roaded a s3 109 for about 3-years (it was a really long byeway :) ). I put 235/85/16 tyres on it, snorkel, parabolics, winch, and few other bits and apart from the huge turning circle it was excellent (that was until I snapped the chassis :( )


Les.